Pandora's Box Fourth Edition for Fall 2018

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Pandora’s Box

“Let the truth be told though the heavens may fall”

Serving York College of the City University of New York and the Surrounding Jamaica, Queens Community Fall Edition IV: Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

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Trash Hauling Contract a Royal Mystery - Sloppy Records, No Accountability

nobody in the college has any clear idea or documentation to verify what quantity of material the company has hauled away or if, in fact, an executed contract was ever signed.

Several Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests for documentation regarding York’s business dealings with the company from Pandora’s Box to the college were stalled and, as of this publication, inadequately complied with.

The issue came to light after a college senate meeting during which former Executive Director of Facilities and Planning James

Minto announced that Royal Waste wasn’t giving back any money to York College from the recycling before resigning from his position last January.

Minto, who is currently the vice president for facilities and management at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, said in a recent phone interview that he doesn’t recall saying Royal Waste wasn’t giving money to the school at any senate meeting and further added that he didn’t deal with the company while he was employed at York.

After Pandora’s Box requested a copy of the contract between York and Royal Waste in April of 2018, the college stalled for months and only partially complied with the request after the newspaper threatened to file a complaint with state officials in Albany.

One email provided to the newspaper dated Sept. 5, 2018 written by Vice President of Administrative Affairs and Finance Ronald Thomas revealed that nobody at the college has any idea what the terms of the contract are or if, in fact, a contract even exists.

“I am following up on the request below regarding an executed agreement between the Col-

that and we’re working on that now.”

Tighe said in an interview that about half of the intended devices are already available on campus to put together the kiosk but he did not want too much hardware before the kiosk was ready to be installed.

Tighe also said that the kiosk would have some applications other than a digital map of the campus, such as the weather and time.

“My staff looks at these kiosks and works on them,” Tighe said.

“I want to try to break them up into some sort of panels so we have different tiles or windows that offer different things. We’re still working through some of the details of it but we’re making progress.”

The kiosks would also serve as a technologically visible opportunity to make York more engaging and welcoming.

“I know some students don’t feel like the campus was particularly welcoming and I believe that this kiosks can do that too,” Tighe said. “It can blast like a ‘Welcome to York’ every so often and ‘Find Your Way’ like if you’re looking for the financial aid office, you can ask a public safety officer or you can type in ‘financial aid of-

fice’ and it will give you directions.”

According to Tighe, the development effort for the kiosk has already kicked in.

“We’re working right now to try to get the software agreements settled for the company for the software for the digital map,” said Tighe. “It’s workload to try to get all of the rooms mapped from a particular point. Each kiosk would be understood to have it’s own starting point. We’re still working through some of the details of it but we’re making progress.”

The kiosk program comes as a result of an Request For Proposals program which allows students and faculty to bring proposals to the Tech Fee Committee. The RFP process is an initiative of the CUNY Strategic Technology Initiative which takes up a portion of the Tech Fee budget.

The Tech Fee budget allocation is a part of every student’s tuition.

Full-time students pay $125 per semester and part-time students pay $62.50 per semester.

“We want to promote the idea of the college being committed to and improving customer service to students,” Tighe said. “We want to let students know that we’re here for you and we want

A Royal garbage truck parked in Beaver Road next to the cemetery on the corner of Liberty Avenue. Photo credit: Greis Torres.

By Greis Torres More than 10 years ago, it was announced with great fanfare that York College was entering into a new contract with a private waste hauling service that was going to revolutionize recycling on the campus.

Not only would the company, Royal Waste Services Inc, take away all the recycling, but they would pay the college back a percentage for the material they managed to sell.

But a recent investigation by Pandora’s Box has revealed that

lege and Royal Waste,” Thomas wrote to an official at the company, five months after the newspaper made its initial request for the contract. “We have been able to locate a few pages, one containing the signature of a former York College official, of what could be an agreement but we have not found a fully executed agreement,” wrote Thomas in the Sept.

5 email. “If you are also unable to find a fully executed, could it be possible that one never existed?”

Despite a request for all email correspondence between York officials and Royal Waste, the college only provided partial emails, most starting in mid-conversation, and only scattered and incomplete details about the amount of material hauled out of York or the cash reimbursement.

On Dec. 17, five days after classes ended and eight months after the initial request was made, V.P. Thomas wrote in an email, “The college has received recycling rebates totalling $1,776.00.”

Multiple attempts to solicit information from officials at Royal Waste were ignored, and on one attempt a Royal Waste employee hung up the telephone.

Thomas, in his Dec. 17 email, added that while the Department of Sanitation removes the regular trash at York, Royal Waste is responsible for taking out solid waste, recyclable material and any trash placed in containers.

As part of the deal, Royal Waste also gets to use portions of the campus to store equipment including trucks and dumpsters, all apparently on a handshake deal as no written specifications seem to exist.

“Since there is a bartering and not a lease agreement between the College and Royal Waste Company, the College does not receive any direct payment from Royal Waste Company,” Thomas wrote in an email dated May 2, 2018.

“Based upon the amount carting companies currently charge ($800) to haul a 40 foot roll-off bin to a waste recycling facility and the number of bins used by the college last year (8), it is estimated that the college avoided $6,400 in expenses in fiscal year 2017-2018.”

On Aug. 27, Pandora’s Box

CONTINUED ON Pg. 3

Digital Kiosks Are Coming to York College, According to IT Officials

By Angel Adegbesan Next year, York College is planning to introduce a kiosk program to the college body courtesy of a proposal by the Student Government Association(SGA).

The kiosk program is currently being worked on by the IT Department, the College’s Technology Fee Committee, Buildings and Grounds, among many other committees.

“We are definitely pursuing this because student government supported the funding of the software,” said Peter Tighe, the chief information officer of the IT department. “We are actively pursuing the digital mapping. The idea is that it would be a multifunctional kiosk.”

According to Tighe, the York’s kiosk program would be a free standing device similar to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) kiosk program that shows the arrival and departure of trains and buses.

“We’re going to have a digital map of the campus on it so if you need to find a room, you can input the room and it will say ok you’re starting here, go up the stairs, turn left and/ go right,” Tighe said. “So we incorporated

INDEX

NEWS: .................... 1-6 GALLERY:.................7 A&E: .......................8-11 OPINION: ............. 12-14 SPORTS ............... 15-16 For More News:

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NEWS

Truett Vaigneur

3 A&E

The digital kiosks that will be placed in the Academic Core building in 2019. Photo credit: Claudio Lindow

to hear from you. We want you to have a positive time here.”

8 OP-ED

The African Diva Project

Angel Adegbesan is the News Editor. She can be reached at angel.adegbesan@yorkmail. cuny.edu

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EIC Says Goodbye

Track and Field

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Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

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York Starts Another Asbestos Abatement Process in The AC Building

By Tuwanna Vassell About a month ago, York had an asbestos abatement process that took place on Nov.13 and Nov.14 during evening hours, a college-wide email stated.

According to the email, the abatement process was conducted by a licensed contractor and monitored and handled by LiRO, a construction engineering company for the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY).

“All of the work will take place on the 5th floor, which is a mechanical floor with limited occupancy. This work is required as part of the comprehensive upgrades to the elevators being conducted by CUNY and DASNY,” the Nov. 8 email stated.

Other than the one email to alert students of the abatement process, there were just a few fliers posted with contact information that were not easily noticeable. A number of students were unaware of the abatement process.

“I didn’t know there was asbestos until now,” said Shemar Lantimo, a Biology major. “Out of 100 people maybe like 20 students actually check their emails.

If you didn’t approach me about it I wouldn’t have known.”

George Tavoulareas is a part of the team from DASNY working on the abatement. The team is currently working on the elevator repairs happening on campus. However, he said that there is a concern of asbestos breaking while the repairs are being done.

“Since we are working on the elevators there might be materials containing asbestos,” said Tavoulareas. “Some of it can’t be tested because you can break it.”

According to Tavoulareas, there has to be an inspection before new elevators can be installed. He added that he is skeptical whether there might still be asbestos in the elevators but all the tests regarding the escalators came back negative.

“There has been confirmation of asbestos materials outside on the roof and it has recently been taken care of and an air quality test has been done,” said Tavoulareas.

Chad Chandler is a student who said the risk would not hinder him from attending classes because the college has started the process of abatement. “I expect that the school has our best interest at heart and take care of the asbestos and keep us safe,” Chandler said.

The college has not sent any emails regarding the asbestos

The escalator near the Academic Advisement Center is closed due to renovations. George Tavoulareas said that he is not sure if there is any asbestos left in the escalators therefore escalators need to be inspected first before the removal process begins. Photo credit: Greis Torres.

abatement process since then. It is unclear as to whether the abatement was successful or not and if there would be any future abatements to come.

Attempts made to reach David Patnaude, the executive director of facilities and planning, were unsuccessful.

“All appropriate steps to protect the college will be taken in the course of removing these materials,” the college-wide email added.

In 2015 York College conducted another asbestos abatement process in the roof because of a repair project to fix a leak on the

roof of the Academic Core building.

Tuwanna Vassell is a contributing writer. She can be reached at tuwanna.vassell@ yorkmail.cuny.edu

York College Nearly Quadruples #CUNYTuesday Donations

By Anslem Joseph York College raised over $23,000 this CUNY Giving Tuesday with up to 131 donors donating specifically to York College, almost tripling the amount of last year’s donors.

York participated in the Giving Tuesday challenge, a 24-hour online fundraising campaign, to raise money for the college.

Geneen McCauley, the annual giving manager for Institutional Advancement, was one of the people who helped plan and encourage the York College community to donate for CUNY Tuesday.

She also hinted about a new campaign for students if they want to give to show that students can participate in their schools instead of just waiting for #CUNYTuesday to happen.

According to McCauley, a total of $5,200 was donated in the first four hours of the event.

“This year we’re hoping to be at $20,000,” McCauley said. “The first year we raised $3,200. Last year we raised $6,400, so we are expecting an increase since we’re both combining two different campaigns this year. We should expect a big increase.”

The event was held from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Atrium of the Academic Core building.

Snacks, water, music and games were available for students to re-

Manager of Alumni Affairs Mondell Sealy supporting CUNY Tuesday.

Photo credit: Anslem Joseph.

ceive and participate in once they donated.

“It’s a day event,” McCauley said. “I didn’t want this event to

stop during club hours. I wanted it to be something where if you had class at three you can still participate.”

McCauley said that the impacts that students make through fundraising for the college is bigger than getting snacks and water. She said the main purpose is for students to know that they are supporting their college and that their voices are heard.

“No gift is a small gift,” McCauley said. “Students do have power in their investments. It’s not a donation. It’s an investment in their school to have influence and have power in where the money will go. So if you want more programs to be developed, that donation will help build those programs so it’s giving you a voice through your financial situation.”

York’s Giving Tuesday website says “annual unrestricted giving is the most valuable gift to York because it allows us to allocate funds to the areas that are needed most. These areas include immediate scholarships, expansion of academic programs, faculty development, campus-wide technology access, and the upkeep of the campus and it’s classrooms.”

York’s #CUNYTuesday is open for anyone to donate and is not limited to York staff and students.

Anslem Joseph is a staff reporter. He can be reached at anslem.joseph@yorkmail.cuny. edu

ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS ;)

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Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

York Adjunct Professor, an Advocate for the Disabled Disabilities Redefined in celebration of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

He collaborated with Margaret Vendryes, the chairperson of the Fine Arts Department and director of The Fine Arts gallery.

Vaigneur also had the help of the Fine Arts Department’s staff particularly, Nicholas Fraser. The artworks in the exhibit were selected from various CUNY colleges and from talented artists who have a disability.

“Many people who have a disability do not want to have fame because they are doing something that their fellow students are doing, instead they want to be a role model by accomplishing great achievements,” Vaigneur said.

“This surpasses the limits of any performance.”

Vaigneur was born in South Carolina and has lived in Italy and England. Vaigneur was formerly a fashion model, but he decided on following a different career path. He graduated from Hunter’s College with a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Education and worked towards his Doctoral degree in Education. However, Vaigneur continued acting and modeling.

“I earned a Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists card and appeared in over 100 TV shows and movies as a featured walk-on,” Vaigneur said.

“They never wanted me to talk, just walk through the crowd and look good, but it was boring and I wanted to do something very meaningful with my life.”

By Sherry Shivprasad Disabilities Redefined with Dr. Vaigneur is a live television show that showcases interviews of successful people with disabilities and the stories behind their talents, achievements and careers.

York’s CUNY LEADS Specialist, Truett Vaigneur is the host of the show.

CUNY LEADS is an academic and career program for students with disabilities at the City University of New York. This program is free of charge for all eligible candidates and available on all CUNY campuses. Students with disabilities have access to resume preparations, career counselling, internship assistance, interview preparation, academic advisement, and advocacy skills.

Vaigneur currently works as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and as a counselor for the Center for Students with Disabilities at York.

He contributes all of his work to the disability community in order to bring awareness and changes to the public’s views about disabled people.

“We interview people from all over the world,” Vaigneur said about his show. “We feature college students who are excelling in school and we interview people who are models, actors, and politicians and in all kinds of career.”

Vaigneur is also the author of a children’s book titled Aqua Blue which was published in September. Vaigneur hopes that the book can help reach out to children and their parents. The Aqua Blue book helps children to understand that they should be involved in activities whether it is in school or outside. There are so many areas that children can participate in such as, math, art, sports, or any oth-

Truett Vaigneur at the Art Defined Disabilities Redefined art gallery. Photo credit: Sherry Shivprasad.

er activity that they enjoy doing, Vaigneur stated.

“I have seen the adjustments into college is much faster and

positive when the students is more involved,” said Vaigneur.

Vaigneur curated one of York’s art galleries titled Art Defined

Sherry Shivprasad is a staff reporter. She can be reached at sherry.shivprasad@yorkmail. cuny.edu

York Student Comes Up With a Way to De-stress For Finals

By Asar John With work piling high and finals coming right around the corner, a York College student decided to host a soca-yoga event in order to de-stress students from the pressure of end of the semester crunch time. For students, a way to de-stress may be attending Soca-Yoga every Tuesday from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. at the African American Research Center at York College. Regina Joseph, a sophomore majoring in Community Health Education, is the host of Soca-Yoga.

“I went through a deep depression my first semester, and I did not have any outlet to go to, and this school is predominately people of color, and sometimes mental health is overlooked in our communities,” said Joseph.

“So I just started teaching yoga, received my yoga teaching certification, and it changed my outlook on life. So I said, why don’t we put it here!”

At Soca-Yoga’s first meeting on Nov. 13, participants were introduced to several poses of yoga such as downward dog, compass, and ended with the lights out for the “lotus” pose for guided med-

itation.

“My mind was more flexible and willing to conjure up creative solutions,” said Xeara Clarke, a sophomore Business major, after the end of the session. “I had the energy to go out and conquer the rest of my day rather than drag myself through it.”

“Soca,” which means “Soul of Calypso,” was created in the 1970s in Trinidad and Tobago by an artist named Lord Shorty. Soca is a sped up version of Calypso with an Indian element in the mix. The blending of this music represents both musical traditions of the nation’s East Indian and African culture, according to NOTV. A combination of the practice of yoga and this Trinidadian tradition gives you soca-yoga.

“Again, mental health is overlooked in our community, and anxiety and depression are big issues,” said Joseph. “Our generation has the highest depression and suicidal rates.”

According to the Blue Shield Blue Cross: Health of America report, millenials and younger age groups, 12-34, had the highest rising rates of depression. For Americans ages 12-17 depression rates rose 63 percent. From ages 18-34, depression rates rose 63 percent

Regina Joseph and a couple of York students doing a yoga pose. Photo credit: Asar John.

from 2013 to 2016.

“When the idea was first introduced to me, I thought it was a great idea because yoga and meditation are great ways to relieve stress from anxiety everyone gets from education,” said Gupreet Kaur Chahal, a sophomore majoring in Information Systems.

According to a study done

by J Am College Health in 2005, 40-50 percent of college students were found to be physically inactive. However, according to the

Journal of Education and Health Promotion, yoga holds beneficial psychological effects on students such as feeling at ease, reducing fatigue, increasing mental performance, and many other factors that attribute to better academic performance.

Asar John is a staff reporter.

He can be reached at asar. john@yorkmail.cuny.edu

Royal Mystery CONTINUED FROM Pg. 1 received via email a vague and unsigned, two-page rate sheet detailing the monthly cost of containers, cardboard and oil recycling for an annual value of almost $12,000, and a pamphlet detailing what Royal Waste is and the services it provides.

The rate sheet which was signed in April of 2009 by Royal Waste only states that the rate of services will be exchanged for the limited use of Beaver Road near the cemetery at 158 street and the limited use of Site 9, part of the South parking lot.

Soon afterward, Pandora’s Box filed another FOIL request to see the completed agreement or contract and all the emails exchanged between previous and current York administrative officials and Royal.

On Oct. 23, the school’s lawyer, Russell Platzek, sent a bundle of emails that didn’t include any emails exchanged when York started doing business with Royal, and a one-paragraph contract signed by both parties in March of 2008 that states Royal will supply York with recycling boxes, slim jims, 96 gallon toters, twoyard roll offs, weekly pick up for cardboard, paper and bottles, and implement a recycling program at no charge with the rebate being determined based on volume, quality and market expectations.

In the bundle of emails Pandora’s Box received there are none between 2008 and 2010 which were the years where both contracts got signed.

According to Thomas the 2008 contract and 2009 rate sheet are the only documents that exist pertaining to the barter agreement between York and Royal Waste.

The earliest email between York and Royal Pandora’s Box received was sent on Dec. 4, 2007 where the General Manager at Royal Waste Joe Morra wrote to Thomas that he had checked out the property.

“Based on minimum of 4 months $500.00 a month and 1 container a month for bulk removal or $1,000.00 a month without the container,” wrote Morra in 2007. “The property would be used for storing empty containers. This is a rough estimated proposal... Please keep in mind we are going to be working closer with York College by supplying new recycling equipment at know (sic) cost and rebating back through scholarship or stipends for recycled paper we receive.”

From 2006 and 2016, Royal Waste donated $8,000 to the York College Foundation Fund, according to administrative officials.

Greis Torres is the Editor-in-Chief. She can be reached at greis.torres@yorkmail.cuny.edu

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Hate Crimes Rose 20 Percent in The United States in 2017, FBI Data Says

By Aisha Martin According to a new Federal Bureau of Investigations data reported by The Washington Post, hate crimes in America rose by 20 percent last year. This makes 2017 the third consecutive year that such crimes have increased.

Law enforcement officers have reported over 7,000 hate crimes that occurred in 2017, which increased from over 6,000 in 2016.

The rise was attributed to more police departments reporting hate crimes data to the FBI, but there are still a vast number of departments that reported no hate crimes to the federal database, according to The Washington Post.

About 60 percent of hate crimes targeted a person’s race or ethnicity, while about 20 percent targeted their religion. Over 20 percent targeted African-Americans, while over 10 percent targeted Jewish Americans.

Hate crimes targeting people for their sexual orientation amounted to 1,130. The hate crimes against people ranged from threats and intimidation to assault and murder. Crimes against property ranged from vandalism to robbery and arson.

Michele Gregory, a Behavioral Science professor at York College who specializes in examining issues pertaining to gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity and class took the historical approach to the problem.

“We had slavery and the killing of Native Americans which today constitutes as a hate crime unlike back then,” said Gregory.

“These examples are part of our history and you can’t erase 400 hundred years of history.”

Gregory said immigrants who became U.S. citizens should al-

Tree of Life synagogue memorial. On Oct. 27 there was a mass shooting at the Pittsburh Synagogue which killed 11 people and wounded seven. Photo credit: Andrea Hanks for The White House

ways worry over increasing violence because it’s a product of something that we can’t get rid of such as white supremacy and hateful attitudes.

“You’re never going to get rid of crime no matter what it is, but how do you change the conditions where you minimize it?”

Gregory asked rhetorically.

Krystal McKnight, a Manhattan resident and Health Science major at York College said that it’s not surprising that hate crimes have been happening since our country was founded on hate. She said hate crimes occur because of “deep-rooted prejudices and financial insecurities.”

“Law enforcement killing innocent black men doesn’t have the same effect as someone physically assaulting a homosexual,”

said McKnight, who added that the way hate crimes affect local communities depend on the demographics.

McKnight said that love trumps hate, meaning we should stop all the animosity towards each other and get along. She also said that every group such as minorities, women, or homosexuals are victims of hate crimes because there are people out in the world who lack awareness.

Professor Gregory said a solution that could possibly prevent hate-motivated behavior is education.

“We should educate people like how we educate them on how to drive safely and not just in a school setting,” said Gregory.

Zahira Munawar, a Queens resident, Health Science major

at York College said that hate crimes affect local communities through the misconceptions that communities have been raised in. She added people are starting to believe the misconceptions as facts rather than opinions and ultimately carry those teachings onto children.

“I believe, although there has always been hate and hate crimes in the world, instead of diminishing, they continue to grow,” said Munawar.

She said that many believe education is the solution to prevent hate-motivated behavior but it is hard to educate an arrogant, uninterested mind.

“I believe what Martin Luther King Jr. said was true, ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot

drive out hate; only love can do that’.”

An article recently published

by ThinkProgress, a news site dedicated to providing progressive news and analysis, mentioned how The National Oppression to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality Act or the NO HATE Act was established last year by Republican Congressman Don Beyer.

He issued a call to revisit the bill after the FBI released the rise in numbers in hate crimes from last year, and wants to improve how the U.S. gathers information about such crimes across the country.

As reported by ThinkProgress, one section of the bill summarizes how it would improve reporting, expanding and standardizing the types of information law enforcement agencies should collect when it comes to potential hate crimes, and help law enforcement identify hate crimes when they take place.

Another portion is devoted to increasing the use of hate crime hotlines and providing a grant for states to manage their own related hotlines. To protect victims of hate crimes, the bill would “establish a federal private right of action” for hate crimes, allowing victims to sue their perpetrators in civil court.

The bill has already accumulated notable support, including from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Aisha Martin is a contributing writer. She can be reached at aisha.martin@yorkmail.cuny. edu

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Q&A: York Child and Family Care Center Discusses City Council Allocation

By Angel Adegbesan York College’s Child and Family Care Center is still waiting to receive its share from the $600,000 allocation made by the New York City Council to all CUNY child care centers in August.

The allocation was originally scheduled to go towards extending the Center’s opening hours to nights and weekends for its customers but, the Director of the Center Cynthia Clendenin said this is not possible.

“To do something like that, you need to hire staff, you have to have people here longer,” said Clendenin. “We need money above and beyond that (amount) to do that. We meet once a month, the directors of all CUNY Centers and we discussed what we would like to do and what’s happening with us. The last time they offered us was a one-time, which we do appreciate because anything we get helps.”

PANDORA’S BOX: Why is it impossible for the Center to expand its opening hours with this extra money from the City Council?

CYNTHIA CLENDENIN: This is a one-time allocation. The 16 CUNY Centers split allocations like that. We were hoping that it’s going to be yearly because a lot of us were looking into extending programs but it was a one time offer. Whenever they take an allocation, it depends on the size of the childcare center like if you have a center that serves 200 kids, they get a bigger portion of the allocation. Still, I’m appreciative of what I get.

But if it’s only good for a year, it doesn’t help us because, say I hire someone to be my night-time teacher, if it’s only good for a year, the person is only going to be here for a year. Also, we haven’t had a lot of call for it but I know if I opened it, I will probably have more. I haven’t gotten lots of phone calls or people coming by

asking for nights or weekends hours, but I think if we extend the hours, they would.

PB: What is the Center going to be doing with the money allocated if is not for expansion of hours?

CLENDENIN: The centers need a lot of things. There’s furnitures and refrigerators that are needed. There’s a lot of things you can do with it but it’s just not going to fund the program for a long time. Centers always need money. Right now, we have two yards. One has the playground and for the other, we wanted a bicycle track but there is not enough funding for it.

PB: How is the Center planning to raise more money?

CLENDENIN: We started doing bake sales and selling children’s artwork but that’s just for fun.

However, we are talking about large fundraisers that we could do to raise more money.

We have to make ourselves known. We’re trying to make ourselves known. That’s why we put the playground out in the yard.

But it is something that need a lot of word-of-mouth and visuals.

We are trying our best and we know it is going to take some time to get to people. We put flyers in most of the offices in the Academic Core buildings for students and staff to look at.

PB: Is the Center free for student-parents? How do you hope to get more student-parents to the center?

CLENDENIN: It’s not free for students. It’s eight dollars for four hours, 11 dollars for six hours and 14 dollars for eight hours. That’s unbelievable for childcare. We will also serve faculty and staff parents.

The problem with that is that it’s very expensive for faculty and staff. We can’t offer them student rate so, we have to offer them market rate. So unless it’s like an adjunct who is only here maybe two days a week and only needs

The Child Care and Family Center at York College.

six hours compared to a staff who is here Monday to Fridays 9:00 to 5:00 p.m., it can be very expensive. Also, depending on the age of the child, it can be between 15 and 17 dollars an hour.

CUNY built these centers for student-parents and that’s who they want to see in it. Period. I commend that.

I had a young lady who came to me this semester and she was very happy to find it and that she didn’t know initially. We have a landmark church front building but a lot of people may not look at it as a child care center. Now that we have the playground out there, maybe with a little more help, but they still could think it’s a church with a playground.

PB: What are the services being rendered by the Center? How does the Center function?

CLENDENIN: We have eight classrooms. We’re using five of them now as classrooms. One is a library and we made another one into an indoor playroom for the

toddlers because of the weather.

We’re making the last one into a library.

Over the years, we’re always doing dental screening and we also do vision screening for the kids.These are the programs that come in. We also do (fundraisers) for St. Jude’s Hospital. We do literacy days in lieu of holidays because we don’t really celebrate Halloween per se, but a child can dress up in a favorite story book character and we throw a party based on that.

The children are evaluated for disabilities and we recognize them. Sometimes a parent can come in and say “my child has a speech problem. What can I do?”

So, sometimes we help them to see it. We watch the child and observe them. It’s very possible that the districts may not see the same thing we do but usually we’re pretty spot on with that.

We get the parents involved as much as we can. Student-parents are hard to get and are usually

Photo credit: Greis Torres

always busy because they are in school. We have a parents room.

They can stay here before they pick up or after they dropped off their child; however their day goes. We have a computer and reading materials that were donated by a bookstore. Students borrow them like a library and they sometimes donate books too.

PB: What are the hopes of Center moving forward?

CLENDENIN: I’m working on getting 3K but its not offered in the 28th district. They are offered in 3 districts in Queens right now and I guess the Department of Education is still trying to see how it works. 3K is just like UPK, just a year younger. But, the DOE won’t give us the contract until it’s offered in the 28th district.

Angel Adegbesan is the News Editor. She can be reached at angel.adegbesan@yorkmail. cuny.edu

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Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

Confusion Surrounds Hunter’s Attendance Policy

CUNY Hunter College official logo.

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By Alexandra Ali & Angela Lau-

Students and professors alike are confused about the current attendance policy at Hunter, and the confusion seems to go as far up as the dean level, as interviews with a dozen sources have discovered. Many students were told at the start of the semester that attendance could no longer be counted towards grades.

However, the official policy in the 2018-19 course catalog states that while CUNY schools are “not attendance-taking institutions,” professors may indeed use attendance to calculate grades, as has been the past practice.

The mixed messages may all spring from a rumor that has been flowing about a lawsuit filed by a student against Baruch College during the spring semester of 2018. But no substantial proof has ever really been brought forward about the lawsuit, and as of now it all seems to be a game of telephone, passed on from student to student. Calls and emails to Baruch and CUNY communications offices were not returned.

Even among professors, the policy is not clear.

“The idea that CUNY is a non-attendance taking institution was news to many around the university, including myself,” said Robert Cowan, the acting

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Photo credit: Office of Communications of Hunter College.

assistant dean for program development at Hunter, and a professor of English at Kingsborough.

“The Hunter College Senate has interpreted this fact to mean that faculty cannot factor attendance into grade calculations. There is not a consensus on campus, however.”

Officials maintain that the policy has not actually changed, however, the policy is stated much more succinctly now than it was in past course catalogs.

Last year’s policy made no mention of the fact that the school was a not an attendance-taking institution, and this year’s policy now makes that clear.

This year’s policy is stated this way: Although Hunter is not an attendance-taking institution, the instructor has the right to set attendance as one of the requirements for the course, thus using attendance in the calculation of final grades. Such attendance policies will be listed in the course syllabus.

Last year’s policy was stated this way: The instructor has the right to set attendance requirements for the course, to keep attendance records, and to consider attendance in the calculation of final grades.

Such attendance policies will be listed in the course syllabus. Students may not use absence from class as an excuse for not fulfilling all course requirements.

Students who have earned fewer than 15 credits of college-level work are limited in the number of cuts they may take in a course without risking a lower grade, as follows: 1-cr course-2 hrs of cuts 2-cr course-4 hrs of cuts 3-cr course-6 hrs of cuts 4-cr course-6 hrs of cuts (equal to 1 lab period and 1 lecture) However, students must still attend class in the first seven days of the semester, when professors are required to take attendance and submit those records as part of the school’s Verification of Enrollment. Students who never attend class at the start of the term can be removed from the class and receive a grade of WN, or administrative withdrawal. The WN has no effect on the student’s GPA, but it can affect any financial aid a student may receive.

Since attendance still counts in terms of students remaining eligible to receive loans and scholarship money, the line starts to become blurred. “A few professors just said that there was an incident at Baruch that resulted in students no longer being penalized for not showing up to class, but then I heard somewhere else that it was up to the professor, so it’s kind of confusing,” said Annie Murphy, a senior.

Murphy is not the only student who has heard this claim about the sudden change in the attendance policy at Hunter.

Elizabeth Jankovic, a sophomore at Hunter, also heard about the new policy from a professor. She says that initially none of her own friends had heard about it, until more and more professors began telling students that attendance was no longer going to have an impact on their grades.

“It’s definitely made me more likely to not want to go to class, and I know friends who actually skip lectures all the time because they know attendance doesn’t count,” said Jankovic. Since most students heard about the change from their professors, many have not stopped to question if that policy is true.

Sissel McCarthy, the director of the Journalism Program, was told about changes in the attendance policy but the rumors of a lawsuit at Baruch have remained just that to her—rumors.

“My understanding is that Hunter and all CUNY schools are classified as non-attendance taking institutions because of the Title IV fund regulations,” said McCarthy. Title IV regulates federal financial aid and requires that students be officially enrolled in order to collect funds.

McCarthy made changes to her own attendance policy in the classroom. “I still take attendance, but no longer penalize students who miss more than two classes,” said McCarthy. “Now I grade class participation during each session we meet, and it’s

worth 10 to 20 percent of a student’s overall grade.”

Tom Carboni, an adjunct professor of biology, thinks students should take attendance seriously — a lesson he learned when he was in college himself. He didn’t bother to do the homework for a class where the professor did not collect it, only to fail the class and have to repeat it. The homework, he realized, was for his own good, not just for the grade.

“It takes time to develop a good college work ethic,” Carboni said. “I believe this attendance policy will have the same effect on many students who don’t realize the importance of attendance for most classes. Those who do not attend frequently will most likely do worse in courses than those who do attend regularly.”

While Jankovic has considered not going to class, she said she is playing it safe. “I think it definitely impacts certain classes more than others,” she said, “like classes where the professor just lectures and gives out power points as opposed to classes based on discussions in class.”

This story was originally published in the Hunter Athenian.

For more information reach Pam Fredrick at Pamfrederick80@gmail.com

Experienced Journalist and Book Author Visits Pandora’s Box’s Office

Asar John, a freshman and a staff writer for Pandora’s Box, listens to Katina Paron’s critique of articles the newspaper has published. Photo credit: Adisa Sobers.

By Pandora’s Box staff Pandora’s Box editors and writers received a mini-lecture from an experienced journalism educator where tips on how to improve and write stories among

many other things were shared on Nov. 29.

Katina Paron is currently the editor of Dateline:CUNY, a news site where all the best articles written by all the CUNY newspapers get reposted.

She has nearly 25 years of experience in the field of journalism mostly focused on teaching jour-

nalism to high school and college-aged students.

Paron recently wrote A NewsHound’s Guide to Student Journalism, a book that teaches the basics of journalism, explains copyrights and how to come up with story ideas. She brought copies of many chapters and handed them to all the contributing and staff writers of Pandora’s Box. Among the critiques Paron discussed with the editors and writers were that the website should be updated more frequently, that we should always use attribution and use quotes from students more often.

Paron added that Pandora’s Box does a good job covering community news and that better photos are being used on the newspaper.

For more information visit datelinecuny.org or email Katina Paron at katina.paron@ baruch.cuny.edu

From left to right: Contributing Writer Tuwanna Vassell and Dateline:CUNY Editor Katina Paron. Photo credit: Adisa Sobers.

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Gallery B PB Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

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PB Photo Gallery: LGBTQ Symposium Gets Recorded in Virtual Reality

By Pedro Bermejo The LGBTQ symposium hosted by Student Development on Nov. 29 was recorded using a virtual reality camera.

“What’s hot right now, and what’s really emerging, and becoming really popular in the consumer spaces is virtual reality,” said Associate Professor of Performing and Fine Arts Daniel Phelps. “So I’ve decided to kind of capitalize on that recording medium and experiment and use to its full extent by recording a lot of people at once.”

Phelps along with Professor Larry Tung organized the symposium in collaboration with the Queens Public Library, and the Wagner Archives at LaGuardia Community College.

“I am conducting a documentary series entitled The Future American Retrospective, and it falls along the same lines as what the Queens Memory Project at the Queens Public Library is doing,” he said.

The event brought together different generations to discuss their advocacy for rights and gender fluidity. It featured two panels, and a keynote address by Pauline Park, the chair of the New York Association for Gender Rights. The event took place on the third-floor atrium.

Phelps said that the circle formed by the panelists made the discussions perfect for recording virtual reality footage.

Back at the atrium, some of the panelists thought the use of VR technology in the event was an innovative touch.

Melissa Sklarz, a recent candidate for the New York State Assembly, was one of the panelists. She said she had never seen the technology.

“Who knows really how far this technology can be used,” said Sklarz. “It seems strange and unusual today, but 20 years from now the 8th generation of this will be amazing and profound.”

Lakshman Kalasapudi, a student who also took part in the event said he was blown away by the experience.

“It was unlike something I’ve ever done before, and I’m very excited to see how it will come out, and the different ways that people can use it as a research and learning tool,” said Kalasapudi.

The 360 video will be available for viewing in a virtual reality group installation that multiple people can experience at once. A specific date, however, has not been announced yet.

Photo gallery by Adisa Sobers

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Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

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Dr. Margaret Vendryes’ Artwork is Showcased on LinkNYC Digital Displays

Dr. Margaret Vendryes had ten of her African Diva Paintings on display on Jamaica Avenue for the month of November. Photo Credit: Margaret Vendryes

By Danielle Cruz Dr. Margaret Vendryes, the chair of the performing and fine arts department, had her artwork displayed on Jamaica Avenue throughout the month of November.

The artwork, which depicted ten different African Divas from Vendryes’ African Diva Project, was shown on the digital displays located on both sides of Jamaica Avenue from Sutphin Boulevard to 168th Street.

The displays are a part of A Better Jamaica’s collaboration with the Department Of Transportation (DOT) as they work together to offer artwork and material to showcase on the various digital displays located in the Jamaica area.

Vendryes says that her artwork was displayed after Greg Mays, the director of A Better Jamaica,

By Richard Heaton With Christmas fast approaching, countless homeowners have started to put up lights and decorations for the holiday season.

One neighborhood that takes great pride in their holiday cheer is the Brooklyn neighborhood of Dyker Heights. Located on the eastern edge of Bay Ridge, residents line their houses with thousands of lights and props, making their streets one of the go-to attractions for the holidays.

Richard Heaton is the Sports Editor. He can be reached at richard. heaton@yorkmail.cuny.edu

reached out to her at a reception for an exhibition and asked for permission to use her African Divas in the digital displays.

“I know Greg Mays and I saw him at a reception for an exhibition and he said ‘you know your work would look really good in the displays, what do you say you give us permission to do that,’” said Vendryes.

“So I gave them ten of my African Diva Project paintings in digital form and they programmed it to fit the digital display cases,” said Vendryes.

The digital displays intermittently showcases Vendryes’ artwork alongside the artwork of an illustrator and the various information provided by the DOT that is specific to the Jamaica area.

“It’s kind of fun because you don’t know when they’re going to show up in the rotation of information that they have,” said

Vendryes. “There is also another artist’s work that also pops up every once and a while… so I’m even surprised by them.”

Vendryes hopes that the artwork showcased by A Better Jamaica will help to create an art watching audience in the Jamaica area, especially as Jamaica continues to experience a commercial and business growth, a growth that Vendryes hopes will include art.

“We need to create art audiences,” said Vendryes. “With all this commercial growth that’s happening around this area with all this building and business growth. I’m hoping that A Better Jamaica is sort of the voice of making sure that the art is included in this growth, it can’t all be about commerce.”

Vendryes hopes that her display of the African Divas will create an art audience by capturing the attention of those who frequent the Jamaica area and cause them to stop and ponder the meaning behind her art.

The African Divas show an image of a beautiful body dressed in gowns and other elegant clothing that highlight the contrast it has to the African masks worn by the figures. Not only does Vendryes want to show such a contrast but she also wants to raise awareness to the performative nature of masking in African culture.

“People like my art because there is kind of this disjuncture between a beautiful body that’s dressed in a gown and this african masks that’s on the face. There is always that what happened and what does that mean,” said Vendryes. “A lot of people don’t know much about the performative nature of masking in general but masking in africa. Most mask are worn to be performed.”

Many people are used to African mask being displayed in museums or simply hung on the wall but Vendryes wants her art to remind people that mask are meant to be a part of a performance and not just looked at.

“A mask is meant to move,” said Vendryes. “It is meant to present a narrative about whatever, sometimes it’s very spiritual and sometimes it’s entertain-

ment but it’s not meant to be just looked at.”

Her artwork also has a genderbending agenda as the mask worn by the women in her portraits are typically worn by men in Africa despite the fact the mask are used to represent female deities.

“It has a lot to do with the power structure and control,” said Vendreys. “Men believe that they are the masters of their universe and therefore they would not want women to take on the power of these unseen beings.”

This is not the first time that Vendryes has had her artwork on display in the Jamaica area. Back in 2014 Vendryes and photographer Dominique Sindayiganza had their artwork displayed on temporary kiosks next to enterance of the Jamaica Center stop for the E and J train on Parsons Boulevard.

I think then it was four or five of them (African Divas) but they didn’t flash there was no digital

component to it,” said Vendryes.

“Those structures were temporary... so it’s like a travelling exhibition. Someone from the DOT saw my work and though that it would be a great way to embellish that sort of heavy traffic area by the Jamaica Center stop While the digital displays will not display Vendryes’ artwork anymore, it will showcase a different artist every month, on Jan. 7 Vendryes will be installing life size African Divas in the lawn of the Jamaica Center for Performing Arts located at 153- 10 Jamaica avenue.

Danielle Cruz is the Arts & Entertainment Editor. She can be reached at danielle.cruz@ yorkmail.cuny.edu

One of the African Divas found on the digital displays. Photo Credit: Margaret Vendryes

Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

ARTS PB Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

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An Old Photo and A New Book Celebrate the History of Hip Hop

Display of Contact High photo book. Photo Credit: Joseph Powell

By Joseph Powell Journalist Vikki Tobak published her new book Contact High: A Visual History of Hip Hop on Oct. 16.

The book is a collection of over 100 photos along with interviews and essays written by musicians and famous photographers that covers close to forty years of hip hop artists.

The book contains a famous photograph taken in Sept. 28, 1998

by Gordon Parks, the first black photojournalist who worked at Life Magazine. The photo depicts a large gathering of hip hop artists in front of a Harlem brownstone building.

The photo appeared on the cover of the December 1998 issue of XXL Magazine. However, this photo taken on East 126th was paying tribute to a similar photo taken on the same block 40 years earlier in 1958 by photographer Art Kane, a fashion and music photographer in the 50s. It was called A Great Day in Harlem and it featured dozens of jazz artists in a group shot.

“When I was researching for this book, I thought about what photos would be iconic and this photo itself was a no-brainer,”

said Tobak.

To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the 1998 photo and the release of Contact High the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem in partnership with Vikki Tobak hosted, A Great Day in Hip Hop: A Visual History 20 Years Later in New York, on Nov. 7.

The Langston Hughes Auditorium was filled with hip hop fans as well as those who work in the rap music industry.

The audience was first treated to clips shown by Journalist and Filmmaker Nelson George on his documentary in progress called, Great Day in Hip Hop. The audience saw interviews with the rapper Mos Def, Questlove, Slick Rick and others as they were assembling for the shoot that day.

These clips can be seen currently on YouTube.

Editor of BlackAmericaWeb. com Sheena Lester, Journalist Michael Gonzales, Rappers Fab 5 Freddy and Styles P. were the panelists of the event while the Editor in Chief of Vibe Magazine Datwon Thomas served as the moderator. The discussion opened with how the project came about.

Lester, a former Editor In Chief at XXL Magazine, talked about

working before at Rap Pages Magazine and the type of covers they put out. When she went to XXL, Lester thought about having a large group of artists on a cover.

“No one had done a cover like that for rap artists and I thought why not,” said Lester. “It never occured to me that it couldn’t happen.”

Lester said that the biggest challenge was trying to get Gordon Parks to be the photographer. Lester spoke of how she and the late publicist Lesley Pitts were turned down three times by Parks. Lester finally convinced Parks to say yes when she told him that he was the only photographer the editors felt could and should take the photo.

Thomas spoke of being an intern for the magazine working that day waiting for the rappers to arrive. The audience learned from Thomas that the original jazz photo was taken at 17 East 126th Street, but the hip hop photo was taken two doors down in front of an abandoned brownstone.

Fab 5 Freddy talked of being excited by the project since he was a fan of Parks and loved the original Kane photo. Gonzales talked of being on the block that day taking notes and talking to various people.

As the discussion was taking place, many photos of the event appeared behind them on a large screen.

“It was like a family block party with no egos involved at all,” said Styles. “There were all levels of artists there from bestseller to no seller rappers. But everyone acknowledged each other.”

“It was a lovefest,” said Lester. “The great thing was that everyone respected each other. The check in point was at a church on 125th and Madison Avenue. Inside rappers were hugging each other and talking. At one point, no one wanted to come out for the photograph because they were all caught up in the moment.”

Everyone remembered how Parks was well received that day when he arrived on the block.

“I was only briefly aware of

Parks, but because of the shoot, myself and so many others would go on to learn more about him,” said Styles.

Lester also commented that once he was there, Parks then fully understood the historic importance of this project and why he was asked to take the photograph.

“Contact High is a fascinating book and a piece of art,” said White. “The title itself is a play on words concerning a photo contact sheet. But looking through the eyes of these photographers tells us about these artists and the art form. Hip hop is just starting to be fully documented. You have to remember that it wasn’t taken seriously because it was seen as kids music. Many felt it wouldn’t last and now adults take it seriously because it has expanded globally.”

“There was a special feeling that day up in Harlem,” said Jonathan Rheingold, an assistant photographer in the 1998 shoot.

“Rap was the new Rock and Roll back then. It was the music of the

youth and so much positive vibe was on display that day.”

Another important aspect that Tobak wants to convey is that the photos give homage to many unknown rappers.

“The book gives insights into the history of hip-hop so no one just thinks that the music is just about who is the most famous,” said Tobak.

“Books like Contact High also serve a purpose for they show the lesser known artists,” said White. “The media’s focus is usually on current top selling artists like Drake or Nicki Minaj. There is nothing wrong with those artists, but the lesser known ones are left out due to they not being top sellers.”

Joseph Powell is a contributing writer. He can be reached at joseph.powell@yorkmail.cuny.edu

Fab 5 Freddy signing copies of Contact High. Photo Credit: Joseph Powell

York Student, Camryn Bruno, is Named the 2019 NYC Youth Poet Laureate

By Danielle Cruz Camryn Bruno, a York College Sophomore, was named 2019’s New York City Youth Poet Laureate (YPL) on Nov. 5.

Bruno, who is majoring in communications technology, read her poem titled Politics Bite during the competition. The poem compares politics to animals and insects that bite and urges others to go out and vote if they can because if they don’t then the policies implemented when they didn’t vote will come back to “bite” them.

As the new YPL Bruno will be given a platform to read her poems and touch upon issues she sees as relevant in today’s society.

She will also receive a deal to publish all her poems into a book. ~ Camryn Bruno is 2019’s NYC Youth Poet Laureate Photo Credit: Camryn Bruno

Pandora’s Box (PB): How did it feel to be named the 2019 NYC

Youth Poet Laureate? Like what was going through your mind as your name was called and after.

Camryn Bruno (CB): I must say it was an honor to be named the NYC YPL. I was so shocked when I heard my name. The hosts Roya Marsh and Jon Sands were announcing the Youth Poet Laureate Ambassadors and I was prepared to hear my name then and to applaud the winner. Everyone was laughing at me because I was doubting them- And then my name was called for the NYC YPL. I started laughing uncontrollably because I couldn’t believe it was me. It took me a while ( a few days ) to wake up from the dream that was reality and accept the title to prepare myself for what is to come.

PB: With being named the 2019 YPL what are some of the benefits that come with the title? (I heard that you will also be getting a book deal as part of the program

so congratulations on that!)

CB: With being the New York City Youth Poet Laureate, It comes with having the most prestigious political arts position as a young poet and an ambassador for the arts and cultural community in NYC. I have the opportunity to receive endless resources and support from Urban Word NYC and NYC Votes to publish my first manuscript of poetry, and I get to have various performing and speaking opportunities around the city.

PB: What are you most looking forward to in 2019 as the YPL? What do you hope to accomplish?

CB: I’m looking forward to impacting the lives of more youth in NYC (and beyond) as well as the installation of my mural in collaboration with Community Word Project. I think anything I put my mind to that I can achieve

this year is an accomplishmentThe reward of continuous hard work! ~ Bruno, who hails from Trinidad and Tobago, has has been writing and performing poetry and spoken word for more than four years after she got her start writing poetry when she joined a community development program.

Before winning the title of 2019’s YPL Bruno participated in Brave New Voices International Poetry Festival, was chosen to be the Feature Presenter at the We Day celebration in Trinidad and Tobago and was the 2018 St. Kitts and Nevis Culturama Festival featured poet.

Danielle Cruz is the Arts & Entertainment Editor. She can be reached at danielle.cruz@ yorkmail.cuny.edu

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Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

Spider-man Into the Spider-verse Review

Spider-man: Into the Spider Verse was released on Nov. 14. Photo Credit: Bruce Detorres

By Richard Heaton One week ago, Sony and Columbia Pictures did something amazing. They gave us Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse.

For both fans and haters of the web-slinging hero, it was better than you could ever imagine.

Critics and fans had nothing but praise for the animated film.

Rotten Tomatoes gave the flick a 97% rating while audiences gave it a 95%. Not only is it the highest rated Spider-man film ever, but no film based on a Marvel character has ever scored higher.

Avengers: Infinity War hadn’t even cracked 90%.

What makes Spider-verse so

good? For one, the film boasts a unique and awe-inspiring animation style. This style can only be rivaled by Genndy Tartakovsky, who’s known for the unique artwork of The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, and Dexter’s Laboratory.

The animations can get pretty intense and at times even seizure inducing. But they are fantastic to look at and make you wonder how on earth did they pull this off.

The story of Spider-verse is pretty simple. One of Spider-man’s most iconic nemesis tries to open up a portal to different dimensions. Miles Morales and different versions of Spi-

der-men from different dimensions team up and not only try to save the world, but every dimension as well.

Even when it comes to voice acting, Spider-verse didn’t take the lazy route. Jake Johnson voices one version of Peter Parker while Chris Pine voices another. Even Nicolas Cage made an appearance as Spider-Noir. The rest of the cast included Liev Schreiber, Hailee Steinfeld, and of course, Shameik Moore, who voices Miles.

The film is definitely a lot of fun as we watch Miles become Spider-man while discovering that there’s a lot more versions throughout the multiverse. The film doesn’t lack in the humor department either. Viewers are treated to the classic spider sense of humor while mixing in the comedic style of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

If ticket sales are any indication of success, then the film is going to be even better than we thought.

It made $35.4 million during its three day opening weekend from Dec 14 to 16. That’s a new record for animated films opening in December, which was previously held by Sing.

In general, if you are a fan of Spider-man or you just want to see something truly great, then Spider-verse is the film for you.

Richard Heaton is the Sports Editor. He can be reached at richard. heaton@yorkmail.cuny.edu

Movie Review: The Grinch

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The Creative Corner

Unstable

By Autumn Matthews

Stare into my eyes with passion And call me wild Ride me for hours Stroking my Long black silky hair And then have me sleep Alone!

Every morning You bring me Breakfast in bed You whisper to me in my ear Telling me how much you enjoy My company and my talents.

I feel like I can only love you from a distance.

The distance between you and I. Is only shortened by the Tattoo on my back That marks me as your star.

Some days you enjoy showing Me off And the other days you Yell at me.

I work hard to put a smile on your face.

But shoes are all I get.

Now you have found a new up to date version of me Of course she’s younger And all my hard work was for nothing.

I cannot think or feel because you taught me not to.

Now all I can do is lie in my dim and dance stable.

The remake of the Grinch is narrated by Pharrell Williams while Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch. Photo Credit: Marco Verch

By Marc Torres Last month, The Grinch was released. Written by Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow, and directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney The Grinch was also narrated by Pharrell Williams, and The Grinch was voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch.

This version of The Grinch follows the same Dr.Seuss story we’ve all come to know and love.

The Grinch and his dog, Mac, live in a cave. Christmas time comes in Whoville and The Grinch spends time plotting how to stop the people of Whoville from enjoying the holidays. Of course he can’t stop the spirit of Christmas, and finds out that it’s impossible for him to do so. His heart grows too. It’s the same story done again for the third time on screen.

The film itself is completely

animated like the 1966 version.

This 2018 version is probably one of the best adaptations. It comes close to the 1966 version people love, except it’s funnier since the humor is newer and things kids understand now are different than in 1966. It feels fresh. It is also definitely better than Jim Carrey’s 2000 adaptation, as this version is animated and allows a bit more freedom for what the Grinch can and cannot do. Plus, it isn’t as corny as the live action version.

The soundtrack was composed

by Tyler The Creator and Danny Elfman. The soundtrack isn’t that good and can be annoying to hear throughout the movie. It isn’t very fun to listen to at all, nor does it sound that Christmassy.

There were little to no updates on the story, which wasn’t exactly disappointing but it wasn’t

very fun to watch since everyone knows the story already. It felt repetitive to watch and made me ask myself “why am I watching this again?”

The animation itself was smooth and worked well with the script. I enjoyed a laugh or two because of the script, and the animation was pretty entertaining as it was colorful, and brought The Grinch to life.

Overall, I definitely recommend this movie if you’re taking a child who’s never seen the story of The Grinch before. It’s funny, family friendly, and somewhat fresh. However, it’s pretty forgettable if you know the story already.

Marc Torres is the Assitant Arts & Entertainment Editor. He can be reached at marc.torres@yorkmail.cuny.edu

And hope and pray for you to look into my eyes and call me wild again.

Autumn Matthews is a contributing writer. She can be reached at autumn.matthews@yorkmail. cuny.edu

IF YOU HAVE A POEM, ESSAY, LETTER OR SHORT STORY YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUBLISH IN PANDORA’S BOX, SEND IT TO THE NEW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AT DANIELLE.CRUZ@YORKMAIL. CUNY.EDU

ARTS PB Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

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Album Review: Some Rap Songs

Rapper Earl Sweatshirt released a 15 track album. Photo Credit: Anna Hanks

By Marc Torres On Nov. 30 rapper, Earl Sweatshirt, released his third album titled Some Rap Songs. The album, which features 15 tracks, was mostly written and produced by Sweatshirt and a few of his close friends. The album has only two features: one by rap group Standing On The Corner, and the other by rapper Navy Blue.

The album sounds dirty and extremely DIY. Instead of sounding like it was recorded in a million dollar recording studio, it sounds like it was recorded on a laptop using Garageband. This isn’t a bad thing, because every track sounds like pure hip hop.

The production while being very simple, is sample heavy. Earl Sweatshirt and his friends sample songs from the 70s, and put their spin on those samples. This album is very similar to early MF Doom albums, which is what Sweatshirt

seems to be going for, since MF Doom is one of his biggest influences. From production to the actual rapping, Earl Sweatshirt is clearly MF Doom’s rap child.

Sweatshirt’s rapping while being similar to MF Doom, is also close to Jay Z. The best way I can describe the rapping on this album is, that if MF Doom and Jay Z had a baby, this would be it. There are songs where Sweatshirt is intentionally rapping off beat, much like Doom, and there are songs where he flows like the legendary Jay Z. Earl Sweatshirt shows he’s in control of his rapping like he’s in control of his production, and puts the two together to create a masterpiece.

The album starts off feeling very dark, and almost hopeless.

However, the production becomes less dark and the rhymes become more hopeful as the album progresses. We get an album that feels just as bright, energetic,

and vibrant as it feels dark, gritty, and hopeless. It leaves us wanting more than 15 tracks because it’s so well balanced with emotional undertones and intelligent punchlines.

My only complaint with this album would be about the cover art and actual rollout of the album.

The cover art looks like a badly taken selfie, and there were two singles that were released before the album’s actual release that didn’t seem good by themselves.

It seems like Earl Sweatshirt isn’t trying too hard to impress anyone.

I guess that is sort of the point as he is one of the biggest and most influential “do it yourself” kind of artist. The selfie cover art is meant to say that he isn’t trying too hard because he did almost everything on the album. It’s not like he’s a manufactured artist who had everything handed to him. It shows how creative he is, and how he used the skills he learned on his own to create a completely new album by himself. His cover art says he’s not trying too hard because after all, all he’s releasing are “Some Rap Songs.”

Overall, this is one of the best rap albums of the year and possibly of all time. It is pure hip hop and breathes new life into the old boom bap style of rap. I think this album will go underappreciated for a while, but with time it will be recognized as one of the best albums ever.

Marc Torres is the Assitant Arts & Entertainment Editor. He can be reached at marc.torres@yorkmail.cuny.edu

Rapper 6IX9INE Arrested Days Before the Release of His New Album, Dummy Boy

By Tylaisha Davis

Photo Credit: Eljakim Video

Rapper 6ix9ine’s album Dummy Boy was released on Nov. 27, nine days after the Brooklyn native artist was arrested on federal racketeering and firearm charges on Nov. 18.

6ix9ine was arrested and was hit with a 17-count indictment and is said to be facing life in prison. The indictment alleges that 6ix9ine is affiliated with the Nine Trey Bloods street gang, an affiliation that 6ix9ine has mentioned in songs, interviews and on his Twitter and Instagram posts.

On Nov. 21, a picture was posted on 6ix9ine’s Instagram stating the album was postponed due to circumstances beyond their control. Dummy Boy however was leaked before officially being released.

Dummy Boy consists of 13 songs, including his singles Stoopid, FeFe, and Bebe. Some

of the features from the album include verses from Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Bobby Shmurda, Tory Lanez and more. The album talks about money, women, jewelry, cars and more.

Artists like Nicki Minaj and Kanye continue to show love to 6ix9ine and the release of his album while artist like 50 cent, Casanova and Fat Joe spoke out on 6ix9ine and his recent arrest.

6ix9ine pleaded not guilty to federal racketeering and firearm charges on Nov. 26, and the judge set his trial date for Sept. 4, 2019.

His attorney Lance Lazzaro is still hopeful that he can get him out on bail.

Tylaisha Davis is a contributing writer. She can be reached at tylaisha.davis@yorkmail.cuny.edu

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The Creative Corner Blind Date

By Autumn Matthews Leah’s best friend set her up on a blind date with one of her close guy friends. At first she had no interest in going on the blind date with the guy because two years ago she and her ex boyfriend of five years had broken up and ended off on bad terms.

Leah promised herself that she would never get involved in another serious relationship ever again since she felt that all boys were no good. She thought that they didn’t have morals and had no respect for ladies.

However not to disappoint her friend she goes anyway to the date at an Italian Restaurant one hour away. Leah gets out of the Uber and walks inside of the restaurant and texts her blind date letting him know that she had just arrived.

He meets her in the front of the restaurant walks her to their table and pulls her chair out like a gentleman.

The rest of the night and the date went perfectly and both Leah and her blind date had a lot of fun. The date was filled with good vibes, laughter, joy and connection. She couldn’t even remember the last time that she enjoyed herself on a date with a guy.

It opened up her eyes and made her realized that maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give love a try again. She realizes that not every guy that wants a chance with her is a bad person like her ex.

Moral of the story is never be afraid to give love another try even if love failed you on the first try and not every guy is considered a bad guy because of one bad relationship.

Autumn Matthews is a contributing writer. She can be reached at autumn.matthews@yorkmail. cuny.edu

OP PBED Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

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Pandora’s Box Gets Heckled By York Administration and an SGA Senator

By Angel Adegbesan Recently, Pandora’s Box’s current Editor-in-Chief was heckled by a member of York College’s administration because the paper repeatedly covered the story of a former employee who was arrested on a drug charge. Separately, the current news editor was also admonished by a member of the College administration for publishing news on the lack of a solid policy for firing an adjunct professor at York who was accused of sexually harassing a student at LaGuardia Community College. Most recently, a member of the Student Government Association of the college verbally attacked a group of Pandora’s Box staff as they delivered copies of the newspaper. This time,it was because the paper generally publishes negative news regarding York.

Pandora’s Box ‘s mission statement.

Pandora’s Box’s staff constantthat PB is meant to promote the ly gets heckled regarding pubschool and that the staff were not lishing negative articles about doing their jobs correctly. The York on the paper’s front page. staff stood their ground and told According to these hecklers, the this individual that PB’s mission college newspaper should only mandates that we report the truth fill its front page with positive “though the heavens may fall.” news stories and put the negative Pandora’s Box is the official stories in the middle (where no newspaper of York College. We one can notice them). are not their Public Relations This SGA senator also heckteam. News organizations exist led the staff about “painting the as a watchdog to the government school badly” on the paper’s to keep their activities in check. front page. The senator implied Pandora’s Box does not exist to

First-Time Voter Reflects on Midterm Elections

promote the college, that is the job of the Newsletters and College magazines. The newspaper is not mandated to report only positive news about the college.

Pandora’s Box reports the positive AND the negative and most importantly, we always strive to report the truth. We exist to report news that affects and concerns York’s entire student body and the surrounding Jamaica, Queens community.

The most important news sto-

Photo Credit: Pandora’s Box’s archives.

ries of the news issue gets published on the front page, as it is in any news organization. It does not matter whether it is positive or negative. A team of staff determines the most pressing issue to bring to the knowledge of the student body.

The hecklers also claim that these negative stories would prevent students from attending the school or make prospective students planning to attend York to lose interest in the college. This is

a lie! Another look at the enrollment rates of the school shows that it has increased as the years have gone by. So, if students want to leave this school, the blame should not be on what PB publishes but on the school itself.

A look at Pandora’s Box’s archives shows that we have published several newspapers with positive and negative news stories about York on their front pages. We have always been fair in our reporting.

If anyone has a complaint against the publishing decisions of the newspaper, we recommend that you write a formal letter to the editor. Do not heckle our staff members. They are students who are simply doing the job that they are assigned to do.

If York’s administration does not want negative stories on the front page, then they should follow the proper rules that would not portray the college in a bad light.

PB does not take pleasure in reporting negative stories. That is not our goal. Our goal is to report on what happens in and around the college. The school does the bad stuff, PB simply writes about it.

Angel Adegbesan is the News Editor. She can be reached at angel.adegbesan@yorkmail. cuny.edu.

York Student Reflects on Justice Nelson’s Visit to Law Class

By Hope Vaughn

The Capitol which houses the U.S. Congress. Photo credit: Martin Falbisoner for Wikimedia Commons.

By Autumn Matthews It has been over a month since the midterm elections. I remember that I was very excited when the elections came around.

I had registered to vote a couple of months prior because I could not come to agree with the actions of President Donald Trump and Congress as well.

When Nov. 6 came, I made sure that I went out and voted because I knew the importance of voting. Choosing to vote means making a difference, engaging and trying to make the nation a better place.

I remember for that whole entire week of the midterm elections, I watched the news every single day and read multiple different articles about the elections.

Even in my political science class, we spent half an hour discussing the elections - our results predictions for the House of Representatives and Senate.

My prediction was that the Democrats would win back many

seats in the House to become the majority making Republicans the minority party. I also kind of predicted that the Republican party is going to retain its majority status in the Senate.

Another thing that I predicted about the midterm elections was the wave of women getting elected into Congress because a lot of women had decided to run since the #MeToo movement began.

I was really ecstatic that my predictions were right when the results came pouring in.

I believe that since the House is no longer going to be controlled by the Republican party, it means it would be more difficult for Trump to get his wishes done.

Overall, the midterm elections was a successful turn out because all predictions made came true and the percentage of voters increased compared to previous midterm elections.

Autumn Matthews is a contributing writer. She can be reached at autumn.matthews@ yorkmail.cuny.edu

We were as enthusiastic to meet her as she was to meet us.

Justice Valerie Brathwaite Nelson, associate justice of the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department, honored us with her presence in our Intro to Law class on Nov. 8, 2018. She walked us through her journey from undergraduate to Law school, her career as an attorney, to her appointment as a Justice in the Appellate court appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

I sat on the edge of my seat captivated as she spoke on her career as justice and the role the appellate division plays in the judicial system. She handed each student a chart diagram of the different levels of courts in the state of New York. The classroom transitioned from a still quietness of devoted attention to constant flow of questions from students concerning law, appellate court proceedings and cases that illuminated our interest and eagerness to learn. She also handed out a summary of a couple of cases that we were going to hear at the appellate court. Yes, her visit to our class room was reciprocated by her inviting our class to her place of employment.

On Nov. 13, our class witnessed something that is rarely

Justice Valerie Brathwaite Nelson during Dr. Robin Harper Pre-Law class on Nov. 8. Photo Courtesy: Crystal Roberson

seen by the public—cases that go before the appellate court. We also witnessed artwork of intrinsic, flawless detail that adorned the ceilings of this court house.

One by one, the four judges filed in and took their place in the overstuffed justice chairs as the preceding started. A myriad of interesting cases from civil procedures to criminal law was heard in this courtroom. The Justices, including Justice Nelson heard arguments from attorneys on both sides of cases, asked questions and gave their input. During a short intercession, our class was given the privilege to meet with the rest of the Justices. This was a remarkable experience.

Justice Nelson graced us with her presence once again on Dec. 6, 2018 to update our classes on the

two specific cases she handed out on the prior visit, and to receive our feedback. Taking time out of her busy schedule to visit us at York and the enthusiasm she exhibited as she stood in front of our classroom to talk to us, speaks volumes of humbleness, nobility and the importance of community support.

I thank Dr. Robin A. Harper and Dr. Jean Phelps for making this meeting possible.

It was an honor and a pleasure to meet Justice Nelson and hope for her to visit York again in the future.

Hope Vaughn is a contributing writer. She can be reached at hope.vaughn@yorkmail.cuny. edu

Answers for the York Cardinals crossword puzzle on Pg. 16: 1) Barracato 2) Thirty-one 3) Espinoza 4) Taylor 5) Shiggy 6) Dove 7) Twelve 8) Corbin 9) Dessources 10) O’Connor

OP PBED Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

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Editor-in-Chief for Fall 2018 Semester Says Goodbye

Letter to The Editor ---Mental Health Stigma And Awareness Awareness precludes one from directing stigmas. (I grant you during WWII in Europe there were few questioning Jew/stigma, and for generations there were few questioning rape/stigma.)

By Greis Torres This week will be the last with me being the Editor-in-Chief of Pandora’s Box. I would like to say thank you to both the staff of Pandora’s Box and to our readers. During my time as Editor-in-Chief I am so proud to say that the newspaper was in top shape. We broke news and followed up on stories that the majority of news organizations failed to follow up on.

This semester was challenging. Every member of Pandora’s Box came up with new ideas to implement for the Fall 2018 semester and had to adhere to strict deadlines. We did four issues of the newspaper this semester, and although it was hard, I’m glad to say that we made it. I feel like we achieved so much during such a short amount of time.

I will never forget the court cases that I covered this semester, and the backlash that I received because Pandora’s Box published three stories about a former York employee that was busted selling cocaine on campus. Some York administrators were so adamant towards me and my staff in regards of the first two issues of Pandora’s Box, yet kept their mouth shut when the third issue came out showing that the ex-cop who killed a York student last year while drunk driving got out of it technically punishment-free.

Pandora’s Box didn’t hear a word from no York administrator providing comment on Vanessa Raghubar’s case, no one thanked us for being basically the only news organization that patiently kept an eye on this case, or the only one that was present at the courthouse for the last sentencing of the cop. I think York’s reaction to Vanessa’s case will always continue to baffle me.

yorkpbnews.net

If you are being taught there is a stigma to mental health, please question the lesson.

Harold A. Maio, retired mental health editor 8955 Forest St Ft Myers, FL 33907 239-275-5798 khmaio@earthlink.net

Editor-in-Chief Greis Torres at a Pandora’s Box staff meeting where she invited Katina Paron to come and talk to the new writers and editors. Photo credit: Adisa Sobers.

Anyway, something that I learned is that teamwork is key.

If the staff at Pandora’s Box wouldn’t have helped each other with layout and editing, we wouldn’t have had four successful issues. For that I am thankful towards my staff.

For all the faculty telling us that Pandora’s Box has been doing a good job and providing comments and/or constructive feedback to the newspaper, I will be forever thankful. Please continue doing so to the next generation of Pandora’s Box writers and reading the newspaper. You are our audience and it is you Pandora’s Box members have in mind when deciding what stories to cover.

Although I’m leaving, I know I won’t be taking with me the struggles I faced as an editor for Pandora’s Box. Unfortunately

those will remain there. So my advice for the remaining and new members is to keep working hard and to communicate with each other clearly. Brainstorm ideas you would like to implement in the newspaper and go after them.

Based on this semester what worked? What didn’t work? And what was missing? Think about that and come up with a plan.

Now that I have said farewell, I would like to introduce the people elected to new positions for the Spring 2019 semester. Danielle Cruz, former Arts & Entertainment Editor, will be taking over as Editor-in-Chief, Richard Heaton, former Sports Editor, will be the Arts & Entertainment Editor, Fifii Frimpong, former Assistant Sports Editor, will be the Sports Editor, and Rachel Dalloo, a former staff writer, will be Assistant News Editor. I salute all of

them for their hard work and I’m sure Pandora’s Box will continue to write meaningful articles and more breaking news.

I want to congratulate everyone who helped me in my four years at York College. It wasn’t easy. The road was full of bumps but I made it and I think I’m ready for the real world.

Despite having not so good moments at the school, I will surely look back to my college years at York with fondness.

Thank you, Greis Torres.

Greis Torres is the Editor-in-Chief. She can be reached at greis.torres@yorkmail.cuny. edu

PANDORA’S BOX SURVEY 14

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Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

York College Freshman Experience Survey

By Rachel Dalloo As the Fall 2018 semester comes to an end, it marks the end of the first semester for many York College Freshmen students. Pandora’s Box conducted an end-of-the-semester survey showcasing the ratings of the 68 freshmen based on their experiences during their first semester.

According to the office of Institutional Research at York College there are 1,169 freshmen who are enrolled as firsttime students. Out of that total amount, only 68 students have answered a survey provided

by Pandora’s Box questioning their first semester. Many students carried different opinions as to how they feel whether they are satisfied or dissatisfied with York. The graph below shows a breakdown of the reactions from the surveyed students.

Rachel Dalloo is a staff reporter. She can be reached at rachel. dalloo@yorkmail.cuny.edu

As the graph shows, 41 percent of Freshmen surveyed said they were somewhat satisfied with how their first semester went down. While 37 percent of freshmen said they are very satisfied with their first semester.

“York College, to me, can improve on some things but for the most part it’s a fantastic school which I plan on graduating from,” said Taylor Bellman, 20, Physical Education major. “I became a 2-sports athlete and it can be very difficult at times, but the staff makes it worthwhile.”

“Teachers need to be more responsive to students when it comes to contacting them via email,” said Mariah Williams, 18, a Nursing major who said she was somewhat satisfied with York College and added that “never experienced anything that threatened my safety, but guards at each entrance should be more aware.”

The graph below shows the likelihood of those surveyed to transfer to another school.

The graph shows 35 percent of Freshmen students who are not likely to transfer out of York, while 25 percent of the surveyed students claim they are ‘somewhat’ likely to transfer out.

Only seven percent of students are extremely likely to transfer to another school.

“Academic advisement is really good,” said Emily Zedzian, 18, a Nursing major who said she was somewhat likely to transfer to another school. “Most of the professors that I have are really good and I can tell that they like to teach students.”

York College offers students many resources around campus such as tutoring centers, a cafeteria, an online and physical library, recently it started to offer free Lynda.com lessons to registered students, a couple of computer labs where students can do and print their homework, a scholarship center and many other offices available to all students.

The pie chart below, based on the comments of freshmen surveyed shows how much of York College resources helped out the Freshmen’s within their first semester.

A whopping 64 percent shows that Freshmen surveyed found the library to be the most useful resource that was available to them.

“I would give it (library) a 10 because the resources are amazing and it is calm,” said Saiyemel Hamid, 18, Political Science.

“Please have faster boot up time on the library computers.”

Also, the Collaborative Learning Center was the second most useful with 21 percent. Nine percent of freshmen surveyed found the Writing Center useful while six percent found the Academic Advisement Center useful.

Pie charts and analysis made by Rachel Dalloo

PANDORA’S BOX SPORTS

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Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

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York Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Teams Successfully Kick Off Season

Women’s and Men’s track and field team in front of the gymnasium.

By Fiifi Frimpong On Dec. 9, the York College men’s and women’s track and field teams finished with top spots in the St. John’s Ninth Annual Bill Ward Invitational at St. Anthony’s High School.

The Cardinal’s first competition was a dual meet with Medgar Evers College that kicked off the season on a positive foot. Head coach of the Men’s and Wom-

Photo credit: Yorkcollegexctf.

en’s Cross Country and Track and Field Indira Avila shared her thoughts on past meet that ended with positive results.

“We’re seeing a lot more people moving up in spots compared to previous years,” she said during a Tuesday practice. “We just have a lot more people on the top. A lot of them are returners and there are some freshmen as well.”

One of the freshmen Avila was talking about was Quavan

Maupin, who clocked in at 54.58 seconds in the 400-meter dash.

This placed him at third overall in the City University of New York Athletic Conference. This is a feat that no other freshman has yet to accomplish this season.

Terrell Trumpet, Dammon Trimmingham, Emely Cuevas, Nicole Ovelheira, and both men’s and women’s 4x400 relay teams were highlighted for their performances in the meet.

Trumpet placed fifth in the

400-meter dash, good enough to place second overall in the conference. His performance also nominated him for track athlete of the week.

Trimmingham participated in two events at the invitational.

He placed third in the shot put recording 10.90 meters and eighth in the weight throw recording 10.23 meters. Both performances lead the conference and landed him field athlete of the week.

Cuevas clocked in at 2:54 in the 800-meter race, locking up first place in the conference. She was able to place fourth in the conference in the mile run, clocking in at 6:42. Her remarkable numbers led to her receiving track athlete of the week.

Ovelheira placed 11th in the weight throw with 9.59 meters, locking up second place in the conference and a nomination for field athlete of the week.

The men’s 4x4 relay team, Terrell Trumpet, Kaylash Autar, Andrew George, and Quavan Maupin, grabbed second place in the conference with a fourth-place finish clocking in at 3:41.

The women’s 4x4 relay team, Geraldine Guese, Jaylene Coye, Emely Cuevas, and Destiny Scott, clocked in at 4:46 for seventh place at the meet and third in the conference.

The results from the first meet are encouraging. Track and field athletes can attest to the woes suffered during the beginning of the season. The results following the invitational are pleasing and can be used as a stepping stone for future meets. Coach Avila talked about what these experiences can be like for an athlete.

“These results are out of a first meet,” she said. “The first meet is always rusty. The first meet always sucks. Even for me, the first meet back always hurts, you don’t

know where you’re at. It’s totally new. You’re adjusting from cross country to indoor. Not only that, the air is totally different, and you have to get used to that.”

Avila then gave her feedback on how she felt about the team’s results considering the challenges she noted.

“Overall, I think we did awesome,” she said. “We did amazing and what’s best about it is they all know we have to work harder to do better. They aren’t happy with the results. If this is where we stand, imagine what’s to come.”

Coach Avila is a competitor herself and expects her athletes to understand what it takes to be successful. She has participated in the Philadelphia Marathon as an elite athlete in the past. To qualify as an elite, runners must document a performance from the past two years that is better than or equal to a designated time mark.

With her knowledge and experience of the sport, Avila hopes to transfer what she’s gone through and instill the same work ethic into her track and field squad.

“I actually still compete,” she said. “I ran the Philadelphia Marathon as an elite. Those things are so rewarding, and my team knows I’m going to expect a lot from them. That’s just my culture and my vision for them. They have a lot of things to get done.”

The next time the York College track and field team will be in action will be at The College of New Jersey Lions Indoor Invitational on Jan. 12, at The Armory in the Bronx.

Fiifi Frimpong is the Assistant Sports Editor. He can be reached at fiifi.frimpong@ yorkmail.cuny.edu

PBPB

Pandora’s Box

EDITORIAL BOARD: Editor-in-Chief: Greis Torres greis.torres@yorkmail.cuny.edu

Managing Editor: Pedro Bermejo pedro.bermejo@yorkmail.cuny.edu

News Editor: Angel Adegbesan angel.adegbesan@yorkmail.cuny.edu Arts/Ent. Editor: Danielle Cruz danielle.cruz@yorkmail.cuny.edu

Assistant A&E Editor: Marc Torres marc.torres@yorkmail.cuny.edu

Sports Editor: Richard Heaton richard.heaton@yorkmail.cuny.edu

Assistant Sports Editor: Fiifi Frimpong fiifi.frimpong@yorkmail.cuny.edu Staff Photographer: Adisa Sobers adisa.sobers@yorkmail.cuny.edu Faculty Advisor: Bill Hughes w.hughes@york.cuny.edu

STAFF REPORTERS:

Anslem Joseph Asar John Sherry Shivprasad Rachel Dalloo

anslem.joseph@yorkmail.cuny.edu asar.john@yorkmail.cuny.edu sherry.shivprasad@yorkmail.cuny.edu rachel.dalloo@yorkmail.cuny.edu

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Tuwanna Vassell Tylaisha Davis Aisha Martin Jospeh Powell Autumn Matthews Hope Vaughn

tuwanna.vassell@yorkmail.cuny.edu tylaisha.davis@yorkmail.cuny.edu aisha.martin@yorkmail.cuny.edu joseph.powell@yorkmail.cuny.edu autumn.matthews@yorkmail.cuny.edu hope.vaughn@yorkmail.cuny.edu

This policy states Pandora’s Box position on discrimantion. This policy applies to all Pandora’s Box employees, volunteers, members, clients, and contractors. Pandora’s Box follows an equal opportunity employment policy and employs personnel without regard to race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status. This policy also applies to internal promotions, training, opportunities for advancement, terminations, outside vendors, members and customers, service clients, use of contractors and consultants, and dealings with the general public.

16

PANDORA’S BOX SPORTS

yorkpbnews.net

Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

York College Men’s Basketball Team Places Second in Invitational Final

Men’s Basketball Taishaun Forehand-Jenkins.

By Richard Heaton York College Men’s Basketball team finished second in the 20182019 York College Invitational.

During the first day of the tournament, York College men’s basketball team played against Clark Summit University and won by a score of 85-65. The star of the game was again Darin Dove, who put on a great show with his latest performance.

It was his fifth game of the season scoring at least 15 points.

In total he scored 26 points while making five three-pointers. After

Photo credit: Verity Rollins for York College Athletics.

this game, Dove’s season total for points stood at 160, the same amount he’s scored in the entire 2017-2018 season. Taishaun Forehand-Jenkins also had a great game, scoring 15 points.

Also on the first day of the tournament, St. Mary’s College of Maryland faced off against St. Vincent, with St. Mary’s winning by a score of 82-80. The victory allowed for a St. Mary’s versus York championship on Dec. 15.

Unfortunately, York could not beat St. Mary’s as they lost by a score of 76-64. One bright spot of the game was yet another dominating performance by Dove,

who played 36 minutes, the most he had played in a game all season.

This time, Dove scored 22 points and made four three-pointers. It was his fourth time scoring at least 20 points in a game and fifth time making at least four three-pointers.

His 22 points put him at 182 for the season. Not only is this a new career best for Dove, but only three athletes among all CUNY senior colleges have scored more points.

His three-point game is just as good. His 34 three-points are tied for the most in the confer-

ence. Last season, only 13 athletes in the entire conference made at least 40 three-pointers, Dove is currently on pace for around 70.

Making it to the finals was a big accomplishment for York and with 14 games left to play, being a finalist should serve as a good motivator for the team to make another push for glory and land a good seed in the CUNYAC Championships, which will begin on Feb. 16.

Of those final 14 games, 12 of them are against teams within the conference, which include multiple games against Staten Island, John Jay, Baruch, City Col-

lege, and Medgar Evers.

After their first 11 games of the season, York holds a 4-7 record and among the nine teams in the conference, they have scored the second most points.

Their 807 points is only behind the 893 points made by College of Staten Island, who has played 12 games.

Following the invitational and christmas break, York will return to action on Jan. 3 against the College of Staten Island.

Richard Heaton is the Sports Editor. He can be reached at richard.heaton@yorkmail.cuny. edu

Got a story idea you would like us to cover?

Contact the new Editor-in-Chief at danielle. cruz@yorkmail.cuny.edu Answers for the York Cardinals crossword puzzle on Pg. 12